Automatic call and lighting system.



R. L. WOOD, JR. & G. E. C RQWL'EY. AUTOMATIC CALL AND LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7. 1915.

wihu-emeo Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

ROBERT LUTHER WOOD, JEH, AND GEORGE ELMORE CROWLEY, OF TALLULAH LODGE,

' GEORGIA.

AUTOMATIC CALL AND LIGHTING SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RoBER'r LUTHER WOOD, J r., and GEORGE ELMORE CROWLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Tallulah Lodge, in the county of Habersham and State of. Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Call and Lighting Systems; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which'it appertains to make and use the same.

a Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic call and lighting system and our object is to provide means for automatically sounding an alarm and closing an electric light circuit by the operation of a clock mechanism.

A further object is to provide means in connection with a clock mechanism for operating the combined call and lighting system at any hour or fraction thereof. And a further object is to provide means for manually operating the lighting mechanism.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out inthe accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings, the figure is a diagrammatic view, showing the manner of installing the combined call and lighting mechanism and the means for operating the same from a clock mechanism.

Referring to the drawing 1 indicates a dial of the clock mechanism which may be constructed in the usual or any preferred manner, 2 indicates the shaft commonly employed for operating the minute hand (not shown) of the clock, and 3 indicates the usual form of sleeve employed for operating the hour hand (not shown) of the clock. Positioned in a circle around the sleeve 3 are a plurality of contact plates 4, there being a'plate for each hour indicated upon the dial of the clock with which cooperates a contact point 5 carried by the sleeve 3 and operating in unison with the hour hand of the clock and 6 indicates a plurality of contact plates, preferably four in number adapted to cooperate with the contact point 7 attached to the shaft 2 and moving in unison with the minute hand of the clock, said contact plates 6 being so positioned as to engage the contact point 7 at each quarter Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. August 7, 1915. Serial No. 44,206.

revolution of the minute hand, the contact plate registering with (12) on the dial being marked (0), the one registering with (3 as (15), the one registering with (6) as 230) and the one registering with (9) as (45).

A magneto 8 of any suitable form and operated in any preferred manner is employed for directing an electric current through the contact points 5 and 7, one pole of the magneto being connected to the shaft 2 through the medium of a wire 9, while the opposite pole is connected to the sleeve 3 through a wire 10, it being understood of course that the sleeve 3 is insulated from the shaft 2 and the contact plates 4 and 6 are likewise insulated one from the other.

In order to utilize the movement of the contact points 5 and 7 over the contact plates 4 and 6 for sounding an alarm and simultaneously closing an electric circuit for lighting purposes, a wire 11 is attached to each of the contact plates 4 and extended thence to a switch board where they are connected to individual contact points 12, there being a contact point for each hour numeral as indicated upon the dial of the clock. Likewise the plates 6 have wires 13 connected thereto, the opposite ends of said wires being connected to contact points 14 on the switch board, there being four of the latter contact points corresponding in number to the number of contact plates 6, said contact points being marked as (0), (15), (30) and (45). The switch board is connected to a signaling mechanism, preferably a'bell mechanism 15, such as is ordinarily used 'in connection with a telephone, through the medium of wires 16 and 17 the ends of the wires adjacent the switch board termin'ating in flexible cords 18 and 19 respectively which cords are positioned over the face of the switch board 20, the free ends of said cords having contact plugs 21 and 22 respectively which are adapted to be introduced into sockets registering with the contact points 12 and 14 respectively, and when both of said plugs are introduced into one of their respective sockets the circuit is completed through the switch board and conveyed through the bell mechanism by the wires 16 and 17 thus causing the bell to ring and give an alarm. The bell mechanism 15 is normally held out of contact with the switch board by providing a gap in the wire 16, a switch arm 23 being pivotally mounted through the bell mechanism will be broken.

The contact point 25 has a wire 26 connected thereto, said wire also being connectedto the usual form of coil 27, the opposite pole of the coil being connected to the wire 17 through themedium of a wire 28, and so long as the switch arm 23 is in contact with the point 25, the current passing through the switch board will be directed through said' coil and when the coil is energized, a magnetic flux is set up in the core of the coil which attracts the armature 29 and swings the latching end 30 thereof out of engagement with the lever 31, the lower end of said lever being pivoted to an extension 32 of the coil and to insure the dropping of the lever, a spring 33 is attached thereto in such manner as to give a downward pull upon the lever.

The pivoted end of the lever is provided with an angular extension 34, the free end of which is provided with a cross head 35 to the ends of which are attached fingers 36 and 37, which fingers 36 and '37 are adapted to engage the insulated head 38 of the switch arm 23 to move said switch arm into engagement with the contact point 24 or 25, the finger 36 engaging said head and moving the switch arm upwardly into engagement with the contact .point 24 when the lever is lowered, while the finger 37 engages said head and moves the switch arm into engagement with the contact point 25 when the lever is elevated and engaged with the latching end 30. As soon as the lever is brought to its lowered position and the switch arm 23 moved into engagement with the contact oint 24, the current is shunted from the 0011 27 and carried directly to the bell mechanism through the wires 16 and 16. The outer 'face of the lever 31 has attached thereto a switch block 39 which is insulated from the lever 31, said switch block being adapted to engage the contact point 40 and complete the circuit through wires 41 which wires are in a lighting c1rcuit and independent of the circuit empTloyed for operating the bell mechanism.

pon completing the circuit through the wires 41, a light is produced in the lamp or bulb 42, said light continuing to burn so long as the switch block 39 is in engagement with the contact points 40.

At such time as it is desired to turn oil the light, a push button 43 is forced inwardly, the stem of said button engaging the lever 31 and moving the same upon its pivot until the upper end thereof is engaged with the latching end 30 of the armature,

thereby holding the switch block out of en- 4 gagementwith the contact point 40, this op- If it is desired to use the light without disturbing the call mechanism, a push button 44 is so positioned that the stem thereof will engage the inclined face of the latching. end 30 and raise the same out of engagement with the lever 31, thus permitting said lever to descend and close the circuit through the wires 41. i 1

In operation, supposing'the occupant of a room is desirous of arising at 1:30 a. m.,

the plug 21 is introduced into the socket over one of the contact points 12 and marked (1), while the plug 22 is entered in the socket marked (30) overoneof the contact points 14 and when the contact point 5 has moved into engagement with the contact plate 4 registering with (1) on the dial of the clock and the contact point 7 has moved into engagement with the, contact plate marked (30), the circuit will be closed between the magneto and switch board. The core 27 is immediately energizedwhich will result in releasing the lever 31 and permitting the same to descend until the finger 36 has moved the switch arm 23 into engagement with the contact point 24, thereby closing the circuit between the switch board and bell mechanism, the circuit passing through the wires energlzing the bell mechanism and causing the same to ring, the ringing operation continuing until one or both of the plugs have been removed from their socket the wires 11 and 13 directly from the clock 7 to the switch board they will be carried in the shape of a cable (not shown) to all parts of the building, and said cable will be tapped at the various points where it is desired to establish a switch board and the contact points connected to the lead wires of the cable by additional sections of wire. It will thus be seen that by properly introduo ing the plugs in engagement with the sockets of the switch board, an alarm can be sounded at any hour or quarter hour as may be desired as it is but necessary to engage the plug 21 with any of the various contact points 12 registering with the sockets marked in conjunction with the hour graduations of the clock dial and moving the contact plug 22 to the contact point indicating the fractional hour at which it is desired to have the alarm operated. If the alarm is to be given on the hour, the plug 22 is engaged with the socket marked (0), if at a quarter hourthe plug is engaged with the socket.marked (15), a half hour, the .socket marked and at the three-quarters with the socket marked (45).

In view of the simplicity of this device, it can be very cheaply installed and when the building is equipped with telephones, the bell mechanism of the telephone can be utilized for giving the alarm.

It will likewise be seen that by placing a switch board in each room of a hotel, the occupant will not be compelled to depend upon the clerk or telephone operator for giving the call as with the simple instructions given, any one can readily set the plugs to operate the alarm at the proper time, and by properly arranging the contact plate 6, the alarm can be caused to sound practically fifteen minutes, or until the plugs are removed.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an automatic call and lighting system, the combination of a circuit having a source of electrical energy, means whereby the said circuit is automatically closed at selected intervals, a two-Way switch in said circuit, a coil connected to one side of said switch,-a bell mechanism connected to the other side of said switch, a lever for operating said switch to connect either the bell mechanism or the coil with the circuit dependent upon its position, an armature adapted to hold the lever in one position 'with the coil connected to the said circuit,

said coil when energized acting on the armature, to release the lever and allow it to move to its other position and connect the bell with the circuit, means for so moving the lever when released, a lighting circuit, and means controlled by the lever'when in its second position for closing the lighting circuit.

2. In an automatic call and lighting system, the combination of a circuit having a source of electrical energy, means whereby the said circuit is automatically closed at selected intervals, a two-way switch in said circuit, a coil connected to one side of said switch, a bell mechanism connected to the other side of said switch, a lever for operating said switch to connect either the bell mechanism or the coil with the circuit dependent uponits position, an armature adapted to hold the lever in one position with the coil connected to the said circuit, said coil when energized acting on the armature to release the leVer and allow it to move to its other position and connect the hell with the circuit, means for so moving the lever when released, a lighting circuit, means controlled by the lever when in its second position for closing the lighting circuit, and means to manually release the armature from the switch arm.

3. In an automatic call and lighting system, the combination of a circuit having a source of electrical energy, m'eans whereby the said circuit is automatically closed at selected intervals, a two-Wayswitch in said circuit, a coil connected to one side of said switch, a bell mechanism connected to the other side of said switch, a lever, fingers carried by the lever adapted to move into engagement with the switch to connect either the bell mechanism or the coil with'the circuit dependent upon the position of the lever, an armature adapted to hold the lever in one position with the coil connected to said circuit, said coil when energized acting on the armature to release the lever and allow it to move to its other position and connect the bell with the circuit, means for so moving the lever when released, means to manually release the lever from the armature, additional manually operated means for engaging the lever with the armature, a lighting circuit, and means controlled by the lever when in its second position for closing the lighting circuit.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT LUTHER WVOOD, JR.

GEORGE ELMORE CROWLEY. Witnesses:

ERNEST EDMOND BURGESS,

JAMES OSCAR Comma. 

